Dispenser for bottled beverages



April 11, 1944. E, B, SACKETT 2,346,457

DISPENSER FOR BOTTLEP BEVERAGES I Filed Dec.' l4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR -E..B. SackeZZ ATTORNEYS April 1 1, 1944. E. B. SACKETT V DISPENSER FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed 15%. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR lllllllll/lrlllgl 1 ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE V 2,346,457 DISPENSER FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES 7 Edward B. Sackett, Coulterville, cant. I Application December 14, 1942, Serial No. 468,902

9 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a dispenser for bottled beverages, and in particular the invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a unique dispenser arranged to support one or more bottles of a beverage, such as beer, and which dispenser is operative to dispense the beverage from the bottles through a conventional draft faucet.

By means of my improved dispenser, a beverage from large size bottles, as for example beer from one-half gallon bottleswhich are being used due to war conditions, but which find little favor in the retail trade-cannot be maintained on draft.

A further object of this invention is to provide a beverage dispenser, as in the preceding paragraph, which includes a bottle supporting mechanism or rack which not only supports a p urality of bottles in communication with a beverage dispensing conduit arrangement andsealed against pressure, but also is arranged so that the bottles may be quickly and easily removed when empty and replaced,

A still further object of this invention is to provide a beverage dispenser which includes, in combination, a rack formed to support a beverage bottle in upright position and which rack includes a movable but normally latched platform bar engaged beneath the bottom of the bottle, a seat against which the upper and open end of the neck of the bottle engages in sealing relation whereby to prevent escape of pressure from the bottle, and a draft tube projecting into the bottle through said seat; there being means employed to introduce carbonated gas or air under pressure into the bottle as supported in the rack.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one, which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. r

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the dispenser as attached to the back of a door of a cabinet.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section on 2-2 of Fi 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the dispenser in the present instance is mounted on the back of a door I of a cabinet which includes afront panel 2 through which saiddoor opens, and a top 3- 4 line A horizontal head plate 4 extends across the back of the door in rearwardly projecting relation thereto, said head plate including an attachment flange 5 fixed to the door by any suitable means.

A pair of vertical bottle supporting racks are formed in connection with and extend below the head plate 4, and as each of said racks is a duplicate of the other, a description of one will suffice. Each of the vertical bottle supporting racks comprises opposed vertical side arms 6 spaced apart horizontally a distance only slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the bottle B adapted to be supported in the rack. Vertically spaced rings or circular bands I connect the arms 6 to serve as guides for the bottle and to maintain the same centered in the rack. The armsat their upper ends are secured to the head plate 4, while the arms 6 of the respective racksv are formed integrally with back plates or flanges 8 which flatly engage and are secured to the back of door I.

The bottle Bis removably secured in each rack in upstanding and consequently non-spilling relation, by means of the followingarrangement:

Extensible tension link units 9 and I0 respectively depend substantially vertically on opposite sides of each rack, and said tension link units are pivotally connected at their upper ends as at H between pairs of ears 12 which are fixed on and depend from the head plate 4; said tension link units being swingable in a plane parallel to the back of door I. The tension link units 9 and III are each fitted at their lower end with a depending clevis, the clevis l3 of the link unit 9 terminating at its lower end only a short distance below the bottom of the rack, whereas the clevis I4 of the link unit l0 terminates at its lower end at a substantially lower point. Both the clevises l3 and [4 open in the direction of swinging movement of the link units, and are adjustably threaded ontothe depending stemsj I5 of said link units so that the effective length of the latter may be altered.

A normally horizontal platform bar 16 is pivoted at one end as at H, between the legs and at the lower end of clevis [3 for swinging movement in a vertical plane. Intermediate its ends and on top the platform bar 16 is fitted with a compression pad l8 of sponge rubber or the like, and which compression pad is adapted to engage the bottom of the bottle B.

At its free, end the platform bar l6 normally projects between the legs of clevis l4 intermediate the ends thereof, and said platform bar is maintained in raised or bottle engaging position head block 2| having a downwardly flaring botie' tle neck receiving socket 22 therein; the portion of the block forming the bottom of-the socketbe ing a pad P of rubber or the like; W neck N of the bottle B is forcefully engaged into said socket by the action of platform-bar IE},- the upper end of said neck engages the bottomof said socket in sealing relation to the atmosphere. Inorder tomaintain the beverage in the bottles under pressure a conduit 23 is connected to a source of air under pressure or carbonated gas under pressure, by meanstof a flexible hose 24; the conduit 23 including laterals 25 corresponding to, and which project axially through, the headblocks 21 into the neck N of the correspondingracksupportedbottles.

The; draft arrangement of the dispenser comprisesd'epending tubes 26'which extend in clearancerelation through thelaterals 25 into the bottlesfrom suitable fittings 21 and 28 respectively; the tubes 26 terminating at their lower end'szadjacentthe bottom-of the-bottles. A conduit 29 connects the fittings 21 and 28 in parallel; thefitting 28- including-a T whose outlet is-connected with aflexible hose 3llwhich leads to and is connected in. communication with the inner end ofhthe shank3ll of a draft-faucet 32 mounted on and. projecting outwardly from the front panel 2 of the cabinet.

Preferably,.the hose- 3tis attached to a tube 330i smaller diameter than the bore of the shank of the faucet; said tube leading through said shank.- to thefaucetvalv'e, as indicated. In this manner, only; a very small quantity of the beverage iscOnfined'in theshank after a dispensing operation, and? does not so soontend to become warm, aswould be the-case-if the shank itself remainedifilled.

. When-z'the'bottles B becomeempty it is only necessary toxtripr handle 20- downward-1y, swing tensionlink unit Ill-laterally sufiicientlytopermit theescape-of platformbar l6, and-t lower saidfbar. The empty bottle thenread-ily escapes from the. rack and afull' bottle can be substituted; the platform barlfi-beingreturned to its bottle holding position by proper manipulation of the corresponding cam 19 and handle 29.

-'Ihe-fiexible hoses 24"and3llareof sufi'rlcient lengthtopermi-tthedoor I to be opened for replacement oi'bottlesin the racks.

While I have here shown-and described a pair of bottle racks, itis evident that a greater or a lesser number maybe employed if desired; Also, while the bottleracks'are here-shown as-being mounted on-a hinged door, theymay also be mounted on awall in a-walk-in box, on the backwall of a cooler, and other places.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have producedsucha device as substantially fulfills theobj'ects of'the invention as set forth herein;

- While thisspecificationsets forth in det'ailjthe present and-preferred construction of thedevice,

When the rack open to a position supporting a bottle in the rack, means to releasably latch said member in bottle supporting position, means disposed at the upper end of the rack for engagement in sealing relation with the initially open end of the neck of a supported bottle,- a draft faucet, and a conduit arrangement in communication between the interior of a supported bottle and said faucet, said conduit arrangement including. a tube extending through said sealing means.

2'. A. dispenserfor b-o'ttledbeveragescomprising a'rack adapted to support a bottle in upright position, said rack including at its lower end a movable platform member, said'member being movable from a position with the lower end of the rack open to a position supporting a bottle in the rack; means to releasably. latch said member in bottle-supporting position, means disposed at the upper end of the rackv forengagement in sealing relation with the initially openend. of the neck of a supported bottle, a compression pad secured on said supporting member, said pad being under: compression whenthemember is latched and the bottle neck is. in engagement with said sealing means, a draft faucet, and a conduit arrangement incommunication between the interior of a supported bottle and said. faucet, said conduit arrangement including a tube extending through said sealing means.

3. A dispenser for bottled beverages comprising an upstanding rack adapted to receive an upright bottle from below, a'platform bar mounted formovement from a position clear of the lower end-of the rack-to another position intersecting said end inbottle' supporting-relation, means carried by saidbar adapted to engage the bottom of a bottle in the'rack and to urge the bottle upwardly when the b'ar is in said other position, a sealing element mounted at the upper end of the rackand against which the upper end of the bottle neck seats in sealed relation, and a draft arrangement'in'cludi-ng atube projecting into the bottle through said sealing element.

4. A dispenser as in claim 3-in which said bar is swingably mountedin connection with the rack for movement from a depending position to a horizontal position under the bottom of the bottle; said'means comprising a compression pad on the top of said bar.

5. A- dispenser for bottled beverages comprising a rack adapted to receive an upright bottle from below, tension links depending alongside the rack on opposite-sides, a platform bar pivoted atone end to the-lower end of one tension link for swinging movement from a depending position to a substantially horizontal position intersecting the lower end of the rack and supporting a bottle therein, means releasably securing said bar adjacent the other end in connection with the lower end portion ofthe other tensionlink, a-sealing element-mounted at the upper end of the rack and against which the upper end of the bottle neck seatsin sealed relation,

and a draft arrangement including a tube projecting into the bottle through said sealing element.

6. A dispenser for bottled beverages comprising a rack adapted to receive an upright bottle from below, tension links depending alongside the rack on opposite sides, a platform bar pivoted at one end to the lower end of one tension link for swinging movement from a depending position to a substantially horizontal position intersecting the lower end of the rack and supporting a bottle therein, means releasably securing said bar adjacent the other end in connection with the lower end portion of the other tension link, a sealing element mounted at the upper end of the rack and against which the upper end of the bottle neck seats in sealed relation, and a draft arrangement including a tube projecting into the bottle through said sealing element, there being a compression pad on the bar engaging between said bar and the bottom of the bottle.

'7. A dispenser for bottled beverages comprising a rack adapted to receive an upright bottle from below, tension links depending alongside the rack on opposite sides, each tension link ineluding a downwardly opening clevis at its lower end, a platform bar pivoted at one end between the legs of one clevis for swinging movement from 25 compressible a depending position to another position intersecting the lower end of the rack in bottle supporting relation, a cam pivoted between the legs of the other clevis, the free end of the platform bar, when the latter is in said other position, projecting between the legs of said other clevis and seating on said cam, means to rotate the cam to elevate the platform bar, a sealing element mounted at the upper end of the rack and against which the upper end of the bottle neck seats in sealed relation, and a draft arrangement including a tube projecting into the bottle through said sealing element.

8. A dispenser as in claim 7 in which said tension links are pivotally mounted at their upper ends for swinging movement in a plane parallel to the platform bar.

9. A dispenser as in claim 1 in which said sealing means comprises a head block having a down- 20 wardly opening bottle neck receiving socket therein; said socket being of substantial depth and downwardly flaring whereby to readily receive and initially guide the bottle neck to position, the block at the bottom of said socket being of a material which the upper end of the bottle neck engages in sealing relation.

EDWARD B. SACKETT. 

